London Eye Gets New Name

London's most spokey landmark has a new name. From late January, the giant wheel on the South Bank will be officially known as the EDF Energy London Eye. Maybe we'll call it the EEL Eye for short.

The new branding heralds a new sponsor. Erstwhile financiers BA withdrew some time ago. Merlin then took ownership, and the wheel became the Merlin Entertainments London Eye. Although Merlin will continue to run the attraction, new sponsor EDF will get naming rights after a two-week maintenance closure that starts tomorrow. They've managed to squeeze together a reported £8 million sponsorship package to finance the three-year deal.